Thoughts Aloud

Archive for March, 2009

Here is an interesting idea. A new website, “I Swear to Uphold… – A grass-roots movement to uphold the United States Constitution” makes a novel point:

In our society, many careers have educational requirements and standards. If someone chooses to pursue a career selling real estate, they have to first take a course and pass a test before they can become a licensed real estate agent. After all, it would not be fair to be represented by an uneducated real estate agent, before they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase a home.

If a person chooses to pursue a career as a hair dresser, they have to first go to cosmetology school, take a course and pass a test before they can become a licensed hair dresser. After all, you would not want an uneducated, unqualified, untrained person, standing over the top of your head with a pair of sharp scissors and an “idea” of what hairstyle will look good on you.

The list of careers that require educational standards is a lengthy one. Many careers require that the applicant take a standardized test to prove basic competency in their chosen field. The goal is to assure the consumer that the applicant has met required levels of knowledge and competency before they are allowed to do their job. An ignorant real estate agent, hair dresser, accountant, attorney, insurance agent, financial planner, school teacher, police officer…etc…can hurt you. An ignorant elected official can hurt all of us.

The list of careers and their respective educational requirements and standards can go on and on. Government regulations have been instituted and passed that mandate educational standards and requirements for many professions, with the intention that the consumer will be able to feel a certain level of comfort knowing that their real estate agent, hair dresser, accountant, attorney, insurance agent, financial planner, school teacher, police officer…etc…has met required levels of education that will help the consumer/citizen achieve the desired level of success that they are pursuing.

Amazing as it sounds there are no educational requirements for our elected State Representatives, Members of the Congress/ Senate nor even the Vice President and President of the United States.

Therefore, we at (campaign name) propose that before any person can pursue becoming an elected official, be it State or Federal, they must first take and pass a one year, college level course on Constitutional Law.

It is hard to argue with that logic. Reading the rest of the document, one notes the additional benefit of educating the voter on the importance and purpose of the Constitution at the same time. The website is still under construction and fleshing out the concept will need work; but I like the concept and intend to follow progress. ◄Dave►

Author unknown; but the message is timely:

Why I Carry a Gun

My grandpa said to me, “Son, there comes a time in every man’s life when he stops bustin’ knuckles and starts bustin’ caps and usually it’s when he becomes too old to take an ass whoopin”.

I don’t carry a gun to kill people,
I carry a gun to keep from being killed.

I don’t carry a gun to scare people,
I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m paranoid,
I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m evil.
I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.

I don’t carry a gun because I hate the government
I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m angry,
I carry a gun so that I don’t have to spend the rest of my life being angry ay myself for failing to be prepared.

I don’t carry a gun because I want to shoot someone,
I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m a cowboy,
I carry a gun because, when I die and go to heaven, I want to be a Cowboy.

I don’t carry a gun to make me feel like a man,
I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.

I don’t carry a gun because I feel inadequate,
I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.

I don’t carry a gun because I love it,
I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.

Police Protection is an oxymoron. Free citizens must protect themselves. Police do not protect you from crime, they usually just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.

Personally, I carry a gun because I’m too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin’.

..author unknown (but obviously brilliant)

**********************************************

A LITTLE GUN HISTORY

In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

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In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

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Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

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China established gun control in 1935. From 19 48 to 1952, 14 million “undesirables”, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated

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Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

—- ————- ————-

Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

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Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

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Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in t he 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million.

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Take note my fellow Americans, before it’s too late.

The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.

——————————-

With guns, we are citizens. Without them, we are subjects.

During WWII the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!

If you value your freedom, please spread this anti-gun control message to all of your friends.

The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.

IT’S A NO BRAINER! DON’T LET OUR GOVERNMENT WASTE MILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE ALL LAW ABIDING CITIZENS AN EASY TARGET.

I’m a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment! If you are too, please forward.

I just did, Brother. ◄Dave►

Here is another pathetic example of why our kids need some serious tutoring in our Constitution:

At least they were American enough to have felt bad for what they were doing; but they were following the illegal orders anyway. Hopefully these guys have been schooled by Oath Keepers and are “OK” themselves by now. If one of them ever kicks in my door, or points a weapon at my family, it will be his last unconstitutional act. ◄Dave►

I will sleep a little easier tonight, for I have found one of the most hopeful things I have read in the past year. A fast growing ad hoc group of active military, veterans, and law enforcement officers known as the “Oath Keepers” has just gone public. Please treat yourself to perusing the website; but I have received permission to republish their, “Declaration of Orders We Will NOT Obey“:

“The time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their Houses, and Farms, are to be pillaged and destroyed, and they consigned to a State of Wretchedness from which no human efforts will probably deliver them. The fate of unborn Millions will now depend, under God, on the Courage and Conduct of this army” – Gen. George Washington, to his troops before the battle of Long Island

Such a time is near at hand again. The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the Courage and Conduct of this Army – and this Marine Corps, This Air Force, This Navy and the National Guard units of these sovereign states.

Oath Keepers is a non-partisan association of currently serving military, reserves, National Guard, peace officers, and veterans who swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic … and meant it.

Our oath is to the Constitution, not to the President, and that oath will be kept. We won’t “just follow orders.”

Below is our declaration of orders we will NOT obey because we will consider them unconstitutional (and thus unlawful) and immoral violations of the natural rights of the people. Such orders would be acts of war against the American people by their own government, and thus acts of treason. We will not make war against our own people. We will not commit treason. We will defend the Republic.

Declaration of Orders We Will NOT Obey

Recognizing that we each swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and affirming that we are guardians of the Republic, of the principles in our Declaration of Independence, and of the rights of our people, we affirm and declare the following:

1. We will NOT obey any order to disarm the American people.

The attempt to disarm the people on April 19, 1775 was the spark of open conflict in the American Revolution. That vile attempt was an act of war, and the American people fought back in justified, righteous self-defense of their natural rights. Any such order today would also be an act of war against the American people, and thus an act of treason. We will not make war on our own people, and we will not commit treason by obeying any such treasonous order.

Nor will we assist, or support any such attempt to disarm the people by other government entities, either state or federal.

In addition, we affirm that the purpose of the Second Amendment is to preserve the military power of the people so that they will, in the last resort, have effective final recourse to arms and to the God of Hosts in the face of tyranny. Accordingly, we oppose any and all further infringements on the right of the people to keep and bear arms. In particular we oppose a renewal of the misnamed “assault-weapons” ban or the enactment of H.R. 45 (which would register and track gun owners like convicted pedophiles).

2. We will NOT obey any order to conduct warrantless searches of the American people, their homes, vehicles, papers, or effects – such as warrantless house-to house searches for weapons or persons.

One of the causes of the American Revolution was the use of warrantless searches known as “writs of assistance” and the first fiery embers of American resistance were born in opposition to those infamous writs. The Founders considered all warrantless searches to be unreasonable and egregious. It was to prevent a repeat of such violations of the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects that the Fourth Amendment was written.

We expect that warrantless searches of homes and vehicles, under some pretext, will be the means used to attempt to disarm the people.

3. We will NOT obey any order to detain American citizens as “unlawful enemy combatants” or to subject them to trial by military tribunal.

One of the causes of the American Revolution was the denial of the right to jury trial, the use of admiralty courts (military tribunals) instead, and the application of the laws of war to the colonists. After that experience, and being well aware of the infamous Star Chamber in English history, the Founders ensured that the international laws of war would apply only to foreign enemies, not to the American people. Thus, the Article III Treason Clause establishes the only constitutional form of trial for an American, not serving in the military, who is accused of making war on his own nation. Such a trial for treason must be before a civilian jury, not a tribunal.

The international laws of war do not trump our Bill of Rights. We reject as illegitimate any such claimed power, as did the Supreme Court in Ex Parte Milligan (1865). Any attempt to apply the laws of war to American civilians, under any pretext, such as against domestic “militia” groups the government brands “domestic terrorists,” is an act of war and an act of treason.

4. We will NOT obey orders to impose martial law or a “state of emergency” on a state, or to enter with force into a state, without the express consent and invitation of that state’s legislature and governor.

One of the causes of the American Revolution was the attempt “to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power” by disbanding the Massachusetts legislature and appointing General Gage as “military governor.” The attempt to disarm the people of Massachusetts during that martial law sparked our Revolution. Accordingly, the power to impose martial law – the absolute rule over the people by a military officer with his will alone being law – is nowhere enumerated in our Constitution.

Further, it is the militia of a state and of the several states that the Constitution contemplates being used in any context, during any emergency within a state, not the standing army.

The imposition of martial law by the national government over a state and its people, treating them as an occupied enemy nation, is an act of war. Such an attempted suspension of the Constitution and Bill of Rights voids the compact with the states and with the people.

5. We will NOT obey orders to invade and subjugate any state that asserts its sovereignty and declares the national government to be in violation of the compact by which that state entered the Union.

In response to the obscene growth of federal power and to the absurdly totalitarian claimed powers of the Executive, upwards of 20 states are considering, have considered, or have passed courageous resolutions affirming states rights and sovereignty.

Those resolutions follow in the honored and revered footsteps of Jefferson and Madison in their Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, and likewise seek to enforce the Constitution by affirming the very same principles of our Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights that we Oath Keepers recognize and affirm.

Chief among those principles is that ours is a dual sovereignty system, with the people of each state retaining all powers not granted to the national government they created, and thus the people of each state reserved to themselves the right to judge when the national government they created has voided the compact between the states by asserting powers never granted.

Upon the declaration by a state that such a breach has occurred, we will not obey orders to force that state to submit to the national government.

6. We will NOT obey any order to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.

One of the causes of the American Revolution was the blockade of Boston, and the occupying of that city by the British military, under martial law. Once hostilities began, the people of Boston were tricked into turning in their arms in exchange for safe passage, but were then forbidden to leave. That confinement of the residents of an entire city was an act of war.

Such tactics were repeated by the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto, and by the Imperial Japanese in Nanking, turning entire cities into death camps. Any such order to disarm and confine the people of an American city will be an act of war and thus an act of treason.

7. We will NOT obey any order to force American citizens into any form of detention camps under any pretext.

Mass, forced internment into concentration camps was a hallmark of every fascist and communist dictatorship in the 20th Century. Whenever a government makes war on its own people, it treats them like an occupied enemy population and uses the internment of women and children to break the will of the men fighting for their liberty – as was done to the Boars, to the Jewish resisters in the Warsaw Ghetto, to the Cossacks, and to the Chechens, for example.

Such a vile order to forcibly intern Americans without charges or trial would be an act of war against the American people, and thus an act of treason, regardless of the pretext used. We will not commit treason, nor will we facilitate or support it.

8. We will NOT obey orders to assist or support the use of any foreign troops on U.S. soil against the American people to “keep the peace” or to “maintain control” during any emergency, or under any other pretext. We will consider such use of foreign troops against our people to be an invasion and an act of war.

During the American Revolution, the British government enlisted the aid of Hessian mercenaries in an attempt to subjugate the rebellious American people. Throughout history, repressive regimes have enlisted the aid of foreign troops and mercenaries who have no bonds with the people.

Accordingly, as the militia of the several states are the only military force contemplated by the Constitution, in Article I, Section 8, for domestic keeping of the peace, and as the use of even our own standing army for such purposes is without such constitutional support, the use of foreign troops and mercenaries against the people is wildly unconstitutional, egregious, and an act of war.

We will oppose such troops as enemies of the people and we will treat all who request, invite, and aid those foreign troops as the traitors they are.

9. We will NOT obey any orders to confiscate the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies, under any emergency pretext whatsoever.

One of the causes of the American Revolution was the seizure and forfeiture of American ships, goods, and supplies, along with the seizure of American timber for the Royal Navy, all in violation of the people’s natural right to their property and to the fruits of their labor. The final spark of the Revolution was the attempt by the government to seize powder and cannon stores at Concord.

Deprivation of food has long been a weapon of war and oppression, with millions intentionally starved to death by fascist and communist governments in the 20th Century alone.

Accordingly, we will not obey or facilitate orders to confiscate food and other essential supplies from the people, and we will consider all those who issue or carry out such orders to be the enemies of the people.

10. We will NOT obey any orders which infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances.

There would have been no American Revolution without fiery speakers and writers such as James Otis, Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, and Sam Adams “setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.”

Tyrants know that the pen of a man such as Thomas Paine can cause them more damage than entire armies, and thus they always seek to suppress the natural rights of speech, association, and assembly. Without freedom of speech, the people will have no recourse but to arms. Without freedom of speech and conscience, there is no freedom.

Therefore, we will not obey or support any orders to suppress or violate the right of the people to speak, associate, assemble, communicate, or petition government for the redress of grievances.

— And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually affirm our oath and pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor. Oath Keepers

The above list is not exhaustive but we do consider them to be clear tripwires – they form our “line in the sand,” and if we receive such orders, we will not obey them. Further, we will know that the time for another American Revolution is nigh. If such a revolution comes, at that time, not only will we NOT fire upon our fellow Americans who righteously resist such egregious violations of their God given rights, we will join them in fighting against those who dare attempt to enslave them.

NOTE: please also read our Principles of Our Republic We Are Sworn to Defend

More About Oath Keepers

Oath Keepers is a non partisan association of currently serving military, veterans, and peace officers who will fulfill our oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, so help us God.

Our oath is to the Constitution, not to the President, not to Congress, and not to any political party. In the long-standing tradition of the U.S. military, we are apolitical. We don’t care if unlawful orders come from a Democrat or a Republican, or if the violation is bi-partisan. We will not obey unconstitutional (and thus unlawful) and immoral orders, such as orders to disarm the American people or to place them under martial law. We won’t “just follow orders.” Our motto: “Not on Our Watch!”

There is at this time a debate within the ranks of the military regarding their oath. Some mistakenly believe they must follow any order the President issues. But many others do understand that their loyalty is to the Constitution and to the people, and understand what that means.

The mission of Oath Keepers is to vastly increase their numbers.

We are in a battle for the hearts and minds of our own troops. Help us win it.
www.oath-keepers.blogspot.com

Those who have read my “Gun Collecting” essay will understand why I was cheering as I read this timely declaration. Of course, I am now an “Oath Keeper” too… I always have been. ◄Dave►

Constitutional Attorney John Whitehead has penned a thought provoking piece entitled, “The Groundwork Has Already Been Laid for Martial Law“:

During his two terms in office, George W. Bush stepped outside the boundaries of the Constitution and assembled an amazing toolbox of powers that greatly increased the authority of the Executive branch and the reach of the federal government.

Bush expanded presidential power to, among other things, allow government agents to secretly open the private mail of American citizens; authorize government agents to secretly, and illegally, listen in on the phone calls of American citizens and read our e-mails; assume control of the federal government following a “catastrophic event”; and declare martial law.

Thus, the groundwork was laid for an imperial presidency and a potentially totalitarian government–a state of affairs that has not ended with Barack Obama’s ascension to the Oval Office, despite hopes to the contrary that President Obama would fully restore the balance between government and its citizens to a pre-Bush status quo. As Charlie Savage reports in the New York Times, “Signs suggest that the administration’s changes may turn out to be less sweeping than many had hoped or feared–prompting growing worry among civil liberties groups and a sense of vindication among supporters of Bush-era policies.”

The fact is that the problem is bigger than Obama or any individual who occupies the White House. Indeed, once the government assumes expansive powers and crosses certain constitutional lines, it’s almost impossible to pull back.

Just consider some of the lines that have already been crossed…

Read his evidence and prepare accordingly. This will happen much sooner than most think possible. ◄Dave►

There is so much bad news and analysis coming at us from so many different directions that it is like drinking from a fire hose. What should we be paying attention to? Which existential threat is going to get us first? Who can we trust? Who is purveying truth? Who is peddling lies? Is Liberty lost forever?

All I and millions of red blooded Americans want is to be left alone. We just want to live our lives as we choose to live them – in Liberty. We are not serfs or slaves to a collective, we are freemen. We have tried the suggestion box; they ignore our pleas for redress of our grievances. We have tried the soap box; nobody will listen. We have tried the ballot box; these days it is stuffed with ACORNs. We appeal to the jury box; the courts won’t give us access or “standing.” It seems that all that is left is the ammo box; but we don’t even know which way to aim first.

Is the important target the nuclear armed and arming Muslim states or the stateless Jihadist terrorists? The Mexican drug cartels who are winning the battle for Mexico, or their ruthless distribution gangs who are taking over our cities? The reemerging saber rattling communist states, or our own Marxist idiots ensconced in our ghettos, academia, the environmental movement, the unions, the banks, the big corporations, the MSM, Congress, and now the White House?

After much reflection, I reckon our biggest problem at the moment is the latter category. The so-called Progressives, or socialists, or communists, or Marxists, or collectivists, or bleeding heart liberals – anyone who ascribes to the altruistic notion of “From each according to his ability – to each according to his needs.” That creed is anti-capitalist, anti-Liberty, and thus anti-American. All who esteem Liberty in the Land of Opportunity, need to take the gloves off and defeat this beast once and for all or earn our pine box trying.

How many times lately have you asked yourself, “What could the politicians possibly be thinking?” Can’t they see that there is no way we could ever repay all the “borrowed” money they are spending? I encountered a new term today, “The Cloward-Piven Strategy.” Somehow, it is not surprising that it came out of the nest of communists in Chicago that produced the Obamarxist and his cronies. First it appeared in an American Thinker article published back in September entitled, “Barack Obama and the Strategy of Manufactured Crisis,” which is a must read:

One of two things must be true. Either the Democrats are unfathomable idiots, who ignorantly pursue ever more destructive policies despite decades of contrary evidence, or they understand the consequences of their actions and relentlessly carry on anyway because they somehow benefit.

I submit to you they understand the consequences. For many it is simply a practical matter of eliciting votes from a targeted constituency at taxpayer expense; we lose a little, they gain a lot, and the politician keeps his job. But for others, the goal is more malevolent – the failure is deliberate. Don’t laugh. This method not only has its proponents, it has a name: the Cloward-Piven Strategy. It describes their agenda, tactics, and long-term strategy.

The Strategy was first elucidated in the May 2, 1966 issue of The Nation magazine by a pair of radical socialist Columbia University professors, Richard Andrew Cloward and Frances Fox Piven. David Horowitz summarizes it as:

The strategy of forcing political change through orchestrated crisis. The “Cloward-Piven Strategy” seeks to hasten the fall of capitalism by overloading the government bureaucracy with a flood of impossible demands, thus pushing society into crisis and economic collapse.

Cloward and Piven were inspired by radical organizer [and Hillary Clinton mentor] Saul Alinsky:

“Make the enemy live up to their (sic) own book of rules,” Alinsky wrote in his 1989 book Rules for Radicals. When pressed to honor every word of every law and statute, every Judeo-Christian moral tenet, and every implicit promise of the liberal social contract, human agencies inevitably fall short. The system’s failure to “live up” to its rule book can then be used to discredit it altogether, and to replace the capitalist “rule book” with a socialist one. (Courtesy Discover the Networks.org)

Newsmax rounds out the picture:

Their strategy to create political, financial, and social chaos that would result in revolution blended Alinsky concepts with their more aggressive efforts at bringing about a change in U.S. government. To achieve their revolutionary change, Cloward and Piven sought to use a cadre of aggressive organizers assisted by friendly news media to force a re-distribution of the nation’s wealth.

In their Nation article, Cloward and Piven were specific about the kind of “crisis” they were trying to create:

By crisis, we mean a publicly visible disruption in some institutional sphere. Crisis can occur spontaneously (e.g., riots) or as the intended result of tactics of demonstration and protest which either generate institutional disruption or bring unrecognized disruption to public attention.

No matter where the strategy is implemented, it shares the following features:

1. The offensive organizes previously unorganized groups eligible for government benefits but not currently receiving all they can.
2. The offensive seeks to identify new beneficiaries and/or create new benefits.
3. The overarching aim is always to impose new stresses on target systems, with the ultimate goal of forcing their collapse.

Do read the whole thing.

Then, in February it came up again in another American Thinker article entitled, “The Cloward/Piven Strategy of Economic Recovery“:

Using borrowed money for a band-aid bailout of the economy should seem backwards to most people. However, it likely is a planned strategy to promote radical change. Those naively believing that President Obama is simply rewarding his far-left base, and will then move to the political center, must wise up.
[...]
Obama adheres to the Saul Alinksy Rules for Radicals method of politics, which teaches the dark art of destroying political adversaries. However, that text reveals only one front in the radical left’s war against America. The Cloward/Piven Strategy is another method employed by the radical Left to create and manage crisis. This strategy explains Rahm Emanuel’s ominous statement, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”
[...]
Because these programs are financed with deficit spending, the effect of the Cloward/Piven Strategy becomes doubly destructive. Talk about a perfect storm! The Democrat stimulus plan is a mechanism whose goal is the destruction of the traditional American way of life. It is bitter irony that the American taxpayer will actually fund the destruction of his own ability to live according to the values of our Founding Documents. It is not alarmist to identify this situation as a coup d’etat.

Again, read the whole thing. Coup d’état is not alarmist at all; it is simply accurate. The only way we can ever recover our Constitutional republic with a capitalistic economic system now, is to reverse the Obamusurper’s clever coup. The sooner the better, while we still have the necessary tool box. It won’t be pleasant, but the alternative is infinitely worse, because there is not meant to be a recovery and return to “normal.” Get that through your skulls folks… the American Dream is over. Pick a box. ◄Dave►

Hmmm… this is rather interesting:

At their website, “We The People Foundation“:

We The People Foundation for Constitutional Education exists to Protect and Defend The Constitution of The United States of America. As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, we are not concerned with politics or personalities in office. Our objective is to return America to its founding principles, from which the vast majority of our elected officials in both parties and all branches of our government have greatly strayed, further and further in recent years. From our perspective, our Republic is in grave danger, our Constitution hangs by a thread.

How has this happened? The people we have put in office are a reflection of our own consciousness. We cannot right what has happened to our government without first re-awakening our own commitment to our Freedom Documents and understanding the role each of us plays in holding our government accountable for their actions.

Our recent initiatives have focused largely on questioning the federal government’s abuse of its constitutional powers to incur debt, tax labor, create currency by fiat, conduct war and police the peace, among many others.

We are interested in a return to popular sovereignty, constitutionally limited government, enumerated and separate powers, individual and unalienable Rights, self-reliance and personal responsibility, and respect
for life and personal property.

As is now clear to all our citizens and the world, we have reached a defining and critical moment in our history. With hearts inspired by love for God and Country, and devotion to duty, We The People must awaken and save our Constitution and Bill of Rights before it is too late. May every patriotic heart awaken to this call and join us.

If you are not aware of this crisis, though it impacts
your welfare with each passing day, we invite you to consider the contents of this site.

Their intent to hold a Continental Congress 2009 could be interesting. Does anyone know anything about these folks? ◄Dave►

The bloom is coming off Obama’s esteem in Europe over his treatment of Gordon Brown. From The London Telegraph, “President Barack Obama just plain rude to Britain. Don’t call us in future“:

But on this side of the Atlantic the whole business looked pretty demeaning. The morning papers and TV last night featured plenty of comment focused on the White House’s very odd and, frankly, exceptionally rude treatment of a British PM. Squeezing in a meeting, denying him a full press conference with flags etc. The British press corps, left outside for an hour in the cold, can take it and their privations are of limited concern to the public.

But Obama’s merely warmish words (one of our closest allies, said with little sincerity or passion) left a bitter taste with this Atlanticist. Especially after his team had made Number 10 beg for a mini press conference and then not even offered the PM lunch.

We get the point, sunshine: we’re just one of many allies and you want fancy new friends. Well, the next time you need something doing, something which impinges on your national security, then try calling the French, or the Japanese, or best of all the Germans. The French will be able to offer you first rate support from their catering corps but beyond that you’ll be on your own.

When it comes to men, munitions and commitment you’ll soon find out why it pays to at least treat the Brits with some manners.

Ouch! I thought diplomacy was supposed to be Obama’s long suit. I am starting to think about the only skill he learned well from those who groomed him for this gig, was how to read a teleprompter. ◄Dave►

Troy has his thinking cap on and is laying out a series of “What to Do” options:

what-to-do-sit-here-and-hope-for-the-best

what-to-do-vote-our-way-out-of-the-mess

They are worth reading and pondering. I look forward to the next in the series. ◄Dave►

A lot of us are seriously expecting a revolution soon, as the only conceivable solution for expelling the forces of tyranny that now have a stranglehold on our body politic. At the rate they are destroying capitalism in favor of socialism, and spending future generations’ earnings pandering to the mindless victims who empower them, if we wait too much longer for the inevitable, there isn’t going to be much left of America to save.

Thus, we are sensibly preparing for it and like our Founders, are willing to pledge our lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the cause of individual Liberty; but how much thought has been given to what happens after the dust settles? Who is going to be in control of the levers of power during the transition back to our Constitutional Republic? Do we dare consider martial law? I think not.

How long would it take to elect honest representatives, and how vulnerable to foreign intrigue would we be in the interim? Would American Revolution II work out like the first one, with reasonable men focused on reestablishing the absolute minimum government necessary to secure individual Liberty; or might it be more like the French Revolution, where revenge against the establishment had unnecessary blood running in the streets? These are not trivial questions.

The American Conservative magazine had a really well written and surprisingly balanced article last month entitled, “Homeland Offense - Washington contemplates deploying the Armed Forces for domestic law enforcement”:

Americans have become so inured to the sight of federal troops fighting fires, rescuing flood victims from rooftops, and engaging in drug interdiction on the border that few eyebrows were raised when news broke that 20,000 active-duty infantry would soon be deployed on American soil for so-called homeland defense.

But critics say this development—announced by U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) in October—is unprecedented and further evidence of a military mission-creep into domestic affairs, particularly in areas for which the National Guard and Reserves are already suited.

“I don’t get it. I don’t understand why they are further encumbering active-duty brigades with this kind of mission,” says Winslow Wheeler, author of “America’s Defense Meltdown: Pentagon Reform for President Obama and the New Congress” and one of Washington’s few civilian experts on the Pentagon’s Byzantine budget. “It sounds like someone is expanding his empire.”

Read the whole thing, because it ought to be seriously pondered, Our founders eschewed a standing army; but in today’s world one is simply unavoidable. Given that, then the Posse Comitatus Act is essential and probably should be made an actual Amendment to the Constitution. Yet, in the current paradigm, it isn’t unreasonable to consider some of the arguments for deploying military forces in a defensive posture here at home.

The southern border needs to be defended and Mexico is about to come unraveled. Islam is bent on a worldwide caliphate. China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and Venezuela consider us adversaries. An invasion of our homeland is no longer out of the question. Europe is almost history, and perhaps it is time for Germany, Japan, Korea, et al, to start defending themselves. We need to consider garrisoning our warriors here at home, rather than scattered all over the world.

Yet, we must have checks in place to preclude our Federal troops from ever being used as a domestic police force, or even a coup. It occurs to me that the solution is to turn the sovereignty pyramid back over the way it ought to be, with the sovereign individuals on the top and the CinC on the very bottom. In our system, as designed, our local sheriff is the highest ranking law enforcement officer in the land. Federal alphabet soup agents are not authorized to perform their duties in our counties without the express permission of our local sheriff. If you don’t understand this, you might find my Sovereign Rights essay enlightening. I would appreciate anyone taking the time to read it.

[Note: You may choose to believe that your natural rights are a gift from a benevolent god - that is fine by me - but you will notice that that postulate is unnecessary. The essay was originally written to enlighten a passel of dense atheists, who thought rights were granted by the Constitution. With ACLU types, as soon as one says "god given," minds snap shut.]

I would suggest that in the aftermath of ARII we should rally round reasserting the sovereignty of our local county governments. Perhaps we would need to rearrange the counties into new States, which exclude the metropolitan counties that are infested with the mindless Marxists and their ghetto dwelling sheeple. Then, these States can hold a new Constitutional Convention to reinstate the original Constitution, for a once again severely limited Federal government, including the Posse Comitatus Amendment.

Then, I would suggest that the armories of all Federal military forces garrisoned within any county be under the absolute control of the elected County Sheriff. I see little problem with troops having sidearms for personal protection when called upon to do relief work etc.; but they should have to get the Sheriff’s permission to check out their rifles or heavier ordinance. Obviously, a situation where they might need serious firepower would be exceedingly rare, and even then rather localized. The CinC and/or governors may ask nicely, but the local Sheriff, who is most answerable to local people, needs to be the one making the call.

Personally, I could care less what happens in the big cities. NYC, LA, SF, Chicago, et al can have their own little socialist police state utopias if they choose – I no longer consider the alien lifeforms residing therein as my countrymen. However, out here in flyover country we need to make sure that the civilians always outgun any Federal forces. Any discussion? ◄Dave►

This is the most encouraging thing I have seen in six months:

I sure hope he is in the majority among our dedicated young warriors when the Second American Revolution starts. If he is, it need not turn into the Second Civil War, because the military will be on the side of the Patriots, not the Marxists. It is becoming increasingly obvious to anyone paying attention that it won’t be long now before we find out.

We tried talking and begging. We tried voting. The system is rigged and the politicians, Left or Right, are ignoring us. They are bankrupting our nation before our incredulous eyes, and absolutely determined to turn the land of our fathers into a socialist state. The time for action draws near.

Please help this video go viral. We will need all the help we can get. This young Marine is absolutely right… there seems to be only one way to stop the madness. Buckle up, be prepared, and do your duty Patriots – your grandchildren are counting on you. ◄Dave►

It is time to start calling a spade a spade. White Guilt got us into this mess and it will keep us in it if we don’t wake up and stop pandering to these racists:

Acknowledging that “tough times for America often mean tougher times for African-Americans,” US President Barack Obama on Saturday called for more local and national engagement by fellow blacks.

“You know that tough times for America often mean tougher times for African Americans. This recession has been no exception,” Obama told the 10th annual “State of the Black Union” gathering, noting that the unemployment rate among African-Americans is five points higher than the national average.

“At the same time, we know that government cannot and will not succeed alone. It will take all of us stepping up and doing our part. It will take the commitment of parents and teachers and community leaders. It will take a renewed faith in our common purpose and common values.”

In a video message, the first black US president told African-American politicians, thinkers and entertainers gathered in Los Angeles that his policies were “closing the gap between the nation we are and the nation we can be.”

The new administration had done “more in these past 30 days to bring about progressive change than we have in the past many years,” the president said in prepared remarks, pointing to his 787-billion-dollar economic stimulus plan to revive the battered US economy.

B.S.! Would Obama ever dare deliver a speech to a “State of the White Union?” What would be said about a white president that did? These people are rank racists; Obama is too; the last thing they want is a colorblind society and it is time to call them on it. ◄Dave►